Ripple effect of city chaos worries Kina Bank CEO

KINA Bank chief executive officer and managing director Greg Pawson says what happened last Wednesday in Port Moresby and around the country will continue to devastate businesses and affect people’s livelihoods.
He said the ripple effect would be felt far and wide, not only in PNG but also in the region, and that PNG would be negatively spoken about at the global level.
“There are going to be many situations and challenges that we now need to face as a nation, areas that we need to focus on and ensure we can bounce back from,” Pawson said.
“As we know, the events have and will continue to devastate businesses across Port Moresby and beyond and will leave a deep impact on the livelihoods of all hard-working Papua New Guineans.
“We know that the supply chain is going to be impacted in the immediate future, we know that families are going to be impacted and we know that the business community is going to have to endure some tough times over a long period.”
Pawson said the real test was how the country would bounce back from the situation, and to ensure that the economy does not suffer, and PNG does not fall behind.
He said the economic outlook needed to be reviewed and every business and organisation needs to think carefully on how they can contribute to rebuilding the economy and ensure PNG can be great again.
Pawson added that business community would be the driving force behind the recovery.
“At Kina Bank, we’re committed to ensuring that everyone in PNG has the opportunity to have access to everyday banking and we’re committed to delivering new products and digital innovation that will support the country,” he added.
“Despite the challenges we’ve experienced in the past (few days), we are more than ever committed to PNG and we will be here to help strengthen the economy, support the business community and support everyday people.”
Pawson stressed that the Kina Bank “remains dedicated to delivering on our strategic commitments that we’ve spoken about many times before, and we remain dedicated to supporting hard working Papua New Guineans.
“Our country has great potential and Kina Bank will always be a part of the future of PNG and we will always ensure that we do our part to support the future growth of PNG,” he said.
Meanwhile Pawson said what happened last Wednesday would be etched in the memory of each and every one.
He added that as a nation, “everyone must ensure that this was a day that we never experience again”.
“I am sure that there will be many lessons learnt from what has just happened and we need to take the lessons learnt and use them to help rebuild PNG,” Pawson said.